Hoplites: The Classical Greek Battle Experience [Paperback]

The main focus of the work (and I agree with the earlier reviewer that some of the essays are a tad big-winded) is to point out the actions, intensity, purpose, and cultural aspects of hoplite battle, not strategy. All authors use extensive references to actual historical events. I think the books succeeds, and I disagree with the same reviewer I mentioned above that tactics did not matter. The Thebans in particular are noted for the tactics of Epimeinondas, and the Athenians and Syracusans are mentioned as well. Tactics at later stages of hoplite battle are more difficult, but an essay points out that early and middle stage fighting had ample room for both small unit and larger unit tactics.

And I also take issue with another review that quotes Kipling in an effort to relegate hoplites to simple farmers who fight on occasion. The Greek hoplite were excellent soldiers (even if they also farmed), and even professional, as evidenced by their extensive history of mercenary service. They took care of their weapons, followed orders, and in many cases, were bloody hard to punch out of a postion, such as Thermopylae. Again, the book mentions their professionalism at several points, including the patient endurance of Spartans under Persina arrows at Platea 479 B. C.

I do not think the 19th century heathen warriros in the poem could have pulled off the above, or the Anabasis, or conquered everything from Macedonia to India, with the exception of a Zulu army, which, I might add, defeated a rather modern British force at Islandlwana.

If you have a basic understanding of ancient Greek battle, I suggest this book as a next step. It will greatly deepen both understanding and appreciation of the topic.

As bloody and unpleasant as the hoplite battle was, it was really a system designed to limit non-combatant casualties. Only the soldiers on the chosen field of battle exposed themselves to injury while the city-states themselves suffered little behind their stout walls. Hoplite warfare was sort of like settling international disputes by means of a very bloody football game.

The essays in this volume explore all aspects of the very bloody sport that was classical Greek combat. Arms, armament, drill, ritual, and all other appurtenances of Greek warfare are examined exhaustively. There is even a whole chapter devoted to the "salpinx," the Greeks' version of the bugle.

The writing is somewhat uneven (some of the contributors seek to display their extensive vocabulary rather than enlighten the reader) and the work suffers greatly from a dearth of illustrations. Several chapters refer extensively to paintings on pottery, but the pottery isn't depicted in the book. Despite these shortcomings, I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in ancient military history.

If you'd like an overview that doesn't delve quite as deeply into the details of hoplite battle, you might prefer two other works: F.E. Adcock's "The Greek and Macedonian Art of War," and Victor Hansen's "The Western Way of War," both available from Amazon.com.